Sunday, November 27, 2016

Query: Hattie and Charles Herbert Blain/Blaine, Marion County

Searching for records of Hattie Blain/Blaine and Charles
Herbert Blain/Blaine. Father Thomas Blain, born 1849 Scotland. Mother Sophrona Blain died in 1885, a widow at that time leaving
three young kids as orphans.The children were born in Marion County and
Charles Blain
lived and died there. Presumably Hattie died there too. There is a third
child, a
daughter. Thomas Blain
, the father, disappears from records after 1873. 1880 census his wife
declares herself a widow; however, I think it's just as likely that he deserted
the family or was institutionalized because I found no grave or death
certificate. In 1873 a news article reports his beating his wife blaming
whiskey.

Several
mysteries with this family:
Thomas Blain(e)'s
wife Sophrona (Sophron/Fronia/Fronie/Forona)
claims she's related to the John Jacob Mellonkopf family of Marion County.
No records to support this other than her word. (1860,1870
census she's not there with mellonkopfs). Also one census has her stating that her
parents were born in Pennsylvania. Mollenkopfs were not. She gives
different birth years. I'm guessing it was 1852 and she lied about age earlier
because she hadn't reached majority when she married. Pregnant? Kicked
out of the Mollenkopf
house?

I'm
thinking she could been an orphan train person which would explain why she saw
herself as family and they did not. There is an article of an orphan
train arriving in 1859, so she could have been placed in the family just
after the 1860 census and then was married in 1869- why
she wouldn't show up in 1870 census. She died very young 1885 and is
buried next to a Mollenkopf.

So
many intriguing mysteries:What happened to Thomas blain(e) Jr. after 1873?Who
was Sophrona Blain, a foster child?How did Sophrona die?What happened to Hattie, Charles H. and
Elizabeth(?) Blaine when their mother and grandfather died in 1885?

Charles
Blaine later shot himself in 1909 after lifelong battle with alcoholism and at
least one stay at a drunk farm. So you see a tragic family all in all